Safety-fastener for envelops.



No. 655,230. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

T. HAWKINS.

SAFETY FASTENEB FOR ENVELDPS.

(Application filed m 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)-

A B I Fig.6. c

Mike/@5505; lhwniozm 14%, Jfm; ynimmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS HAWKINS, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

SAFETY-FASTEN ER FOR ENVELOPS.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,230, dated August 7, 1900. Application filed May 8,1899. $erial No. 715,996; '(No model.) i t I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHoMAs HAWKINS,a citizen of the United States of America, residing at 40 Marchmont street, Russell Square, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops and the Like and in Safety-Fasteners Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in envelops and the like and in safety-fasteners therefor; and the objects of my improvements are to prevent fraudulent opening of the envelop or tampering with the contents without such fraud or tampering becoming known. i

The great advantage of my invention is the perfect security of the fastening, which cannot possibly be undone after it is once secured, the only way of opening the envelop or the like being to-cut or tear the paper or other material of which it is composed.

Other advantages which my invention possesses are that it is cheap to manufacture and both easy and certain in its action without being at all unsightly in appearance.

I carry out myinvention as follows, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section of the safety-fastener before the parts are secured, one portion being fixed to the outer flap of the envelop or the like and the other portion to the inner or overlapping flaps or folds. Fig. 1 shows three parts of the fastener separated. Fig. 2 is a section of the safety-fastener when closed and keeping the flaps of the envelop or the like secured. Fig. 3 is a section of an alternative form of the safety-fastener. Fig. 3 shows four separate parts of the complete fastener in this alternative form. Fig. 4 is asection of the alternative form of the safetyfastener when keeping the flaps of the envelop or the like closed. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of an envelop containing my present improvements, showing the fastener open and closed, respectively.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The essential features of my invention consist, first, in perforating "the meeting flaps or equivalents of the envelop or the like; secondly, of a hollow rivet or eyelet attached to one of the flaps; thirdly, an annular disk or washer secured to the other flap or folds;

'fourthl'y, an anvil-plate, and, fifthly, means for insuring the spreading of the edge of the rivet underneath the annular disk or washer when pressed, thereby riveting the two parts of the envelop or the like together.

My invention can be carried out in various forms; but in all cases the outer flap and also the inner flaps or folds are punched (preferably during the process of manufacture) each with a small hole, (or more than one,) the hole of the outer flap registering accurately with the hole of the inner flap when folded down. These holes may or may not be eyeleted, as desired; but forordinary purposes it would be unnecessary.

According to my invention 1 take a small metal hollow rivet, somewhat like alace-boot eyelet, consisting of a tubular portion A and a flange B and pass it through the hole of the (preferably) outer flap C, where it is held in place by a canvas or other suitable backing D of sufiicient size to more than cover said flange. This constitutes one portion of my fastener. The other portion of my fastener, attached to the other flap of the envelop, is shown in several forms. According to the forms shown by Figs. 1, 1", and 2 the metal plate E has a raised tapered portion E in its center and acts both as an anvil and as a guide and spreader for the rivet A when the two are pressed together. Before applying the anvil-plate E,I pass over it an annular disk or washer F and then secure them both in the envelop by a paper or other backing G, the raised portion E projecting slightly through the hole of the flap or folds of the envelop or the like.

The anvil-plate E and washer F are preferably stamped out of sheet metal, being at the same operation dished around the edges, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, so as to facilitate fitting them together. The spreader E may be open at the top or not, as desired. The washer F is raised or dished around the edge of its hole, as shown, so as to allow sufficient space for the edge of rivet A to spread underneath same when forcibly pressed down over the spreader E. The three metal parts is simply necessary to close the flaps together, (the tube A being thus brought down upon of the fastener are shown separated in Fig. 1, the rivet A bei-ng preferably stamped from some very .ductile or thin metal. I intend that the envelop shall be supplied for use withthe parts already fixed therein as shown by Fig. 1. In order to fasten the envelop, it

the guide and spreader E) and press down upon the canvas or equivalent D with a hard I object, such as a coin. The bottom edge of the tube A will then easily spread and become directed underneath the Washer F, which being much larger than the hole in the flap or folds will effectively prevent the rivet from being withdrawn.

According to the forms shown in Figs. '3, 3*, and 4 the guide and spreader E is an independent short tube separate from the an- 'fold at the point where they meet when folded down said anvil-plate carrying an annular disk or washer surrounding said raised cen ter substantially as described and as shown by the accompanying drawings.

2. A safety-fastener consisting of a hollow rivet or eyelet fastened to one of the flaps or folds of an envelop and the combination of an anvil-plate, a spreader, and an annular disk or washer, said combination being secured to the opposite flap or fold at the point where they meet when folded down substantially as described and as shown by the accompanying drawings.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS HAWKINS.

Witnesses: J AMES LEWIS, ARTHUR H. STANLEY. 

